3 minute read
With the Open Championship taking place next week, many of the world's top golfers have headed to the Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland in preparation for the year's third major.
However, there is also a PGA Tour and DB World Tour taking place on American shores this week as the Barbasol Championship gets underway at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky beginning on Thursday, July 13.
The 72-par course plays host to a $3,800,000 prize fund, with golfers further down the world rankings in with a chance of claiming victory at the event.
Canadian Taylor Pendrith, currently ranked 113th in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the bookies' favourite for the tournament at 16/1. He has made 15 cuts out of 23 this season, and averages 71 shots per round. He does, however, rank highly in the drive distance metric – which should be beneficial on the 7,328-yard course.
His drive accuracy is questionable at just 53.1%, and on form he has two missed cuts in the last three tournaments he has entered. A 5/2 shot to miss the cut is unlikely but could be the best option when it comes to Pendrith.
Grayson Murray (33/1) should also be in contention. A previous winner of the tournament in 2017, the American has showcased better form than the favourite. He finished tied-sixth at the John Deere Classic last weekend and has first and third place finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour in the past few months. A 2/1 bet on a Top 20 finish could be an interesting ploy.
Another option further down the field could by Andrew Landry (125/1). He has a solid all-round game – 288-yard drive distance, 66.1% drive accuracy and 61.5% greens in regulation – in addition to being the number one putter on the PGA Tour averaging 1.635 putts per hole.
Despite his putting prowess, he finished around the P60 mark in the last four Tour events – making the cut on each occasion. With a number of the world's best in Scotland, opportunity may knock for Landry. For a top 40 finish, 19/10 is an excellent price, with brave punters eyeing top 30 (3/1) or top 20 (5/1) finishes for the American.
Given the long nature of the course, it may be worth a punt on one of the biggest drivers on the Tour. Brandon Matthews averages 320.9 yards per drive, second behind Rory McIlroy in the PGA listings. His drive accuracy (48.2%) and putting (1.804 per hole) are extremely questionable, but a 225/1 price to win it all is enticing.
Form is not backing the big-hitting American, he has missed four cuts out of the last five and finished P68 at the John Deere Classic last week. A top 10 finish at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans is the only result of note in recent months – but again given the weakened field in Kentucky he deserves a punt for a top 40 finish at 13/5.
